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enEgypt 2 Ghana 0: Salah, Saied put Black Stars in troubleGhana's chances of qualifying for the World Cup suffered a blow as they were beaten 2-0 by Egypt in Borg El Arab.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/egypt-2-ghana-0-salah-saied-put-black-stars-trouble
A penalty from Mohamed Salah and a late Abdallah Saied goal secured a valuable 2-0 victory for Egypt in their World Cup qualifier against Ghana on Sunday.
Roma forward Salah scored from the spot two minutes prior to half-time to help Hector Cuper's side on their way to a second Group E win from as many matches.
Ghana, who were held by Uganda on matchday one of the third round of qualifying, enjoyed plenty of possession in Borg El Arab, but offered far too little in the final third to trouble the home defence.
Emmanuel Badu spurned two good chances in the second half and Avram Grant's side were ultimately punished for their profligacy, as Saied struck a second for Egypt four minutes from time.
The result means the Black Stars are five points adrift of group leaders Egypt and three behind Uganda, who beat Congo 1-0 on Saturday, leaving their hopes of reaching the finals in Russia in 2018 in serious jeopardy.
Essam El Hadary made a good save to deny Mubarak Wakaso's fierce free-kick,as Ghana started strongly against a home side who struggled to settle, although there was a distinct lack of quality in their attacking approach.
The home support became increasingly restless as Egypt surrendered possession far too often, but Andre Ayew's shot that whistled narrowly wide was as close as Ghana came to an opener.
Just before half-time, the visitors were punished for that lack of cutting edge. Trezeguet was tripped inside the area by Harrison Afful's lunging challenge and Salah swept the resulting penalty into the middle of the net.
Ghana's frustrations were building as the players were repeatedly targeted at set-pieces by laser pens shone from the crowd, although Badu wasted a glorious chance to equalise from one such dead-ball situation as he headed wide from six yards.
Christian Atsu was denied by a brilliant stop from El Hadary when played through one-on-one by Wakaso and Badu steered another header inches wide as Ghana pressure continued to mount in the closing stages.
But Egypt – who last lost a home qualifier in 2004 – made the points secure four minutes from the end, Salah teeing up Saied to slot confidently past Brimah Razak.
news_articleSun, 13 Nov 2016 18:15:47 +0000Anonymous650448 at http://www.fourfourtwo.com13 of football's biggest tantrums: Toure's cake, Drogba's flip-flops and an irate president of the Kuwaiti FATensions can occasionally boil over on the pitch, but Jake Conneely and Dan Steeden pick out a handful of figures who really threw their toys out of the pramhttp://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/13-footballs-biggest-tantrums-toures-cake-drogbas-flip-flops-and-irate-president-kuwaiti-fa
1. Warm Tevez gives Mancini the cold shoulder
Carlos Tevez was never far from trouble during his time in the Premier League; even the transfer that brought him to England in the first place was laden with controversy.
Despite plying his trade in London and Manchester for the best part of seven years, the Argentinian striker never really got to grips with the language. He had no problem communicating with Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini at the Allianz Arena in 2011, though, informing the Italian in no uncertain terms that he would not be warming up during City's Champions League clash with Bayern Munich.
An outraged Mancini insisted he would never play for the club again, but Tevez returned to the first-team fold just six months later.
2. Will he stay or Will he go?
William Gallas was no stranger to kicking up a fuss when things weren't going his way, but this outburst in 2008 was extreme even for him.
A late penalty from James McFadden salvaged a point for Birmingham against Arsenal, whose title chances were harmed by their failure to emerge victorious. Gallas responded to the disappointment by huffing around the pitch at the final whistle and staging a sit-down protest in the centre circle while his team-mates headed down the tunnel and into the dressing room.
Seeing colleague Eduardo da Silva suffer a horrific injury in the same game certainly added to the emotion of the occasion; nevertheless, the defender later admitted his reaction to the award of a penalty late on was a "mistake".
Gallas throws a wobbly
3. Sheikhen not stirred
Manchester City's owner isn't the only Sheikh to have had an influence on the global game. When France were awarded a goal during their World Cup tie with Kuwait in 1982, the president of the latter's Football Association,Sheikh Fahid Al-Ahmad-Al Sabah,launched a one-man pitch invasion to take up the issue with the referee.
Remarkably, said official eventually changed his mind and agreed to chalk off the strike. Perhaps Pep Guardiola will turn to his boss if decisions go against City this season.
4. What a strike, son
Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke, Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp, and Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton are just some of the great double acts to have graced the Premier League, with each player relying on his partner to flourish.
Nottingham Forest's Pierre van Hooijdonk clearly felt similarly about Kevin Campbell, so the East Midlanders' decision to sell the ex-Arsenal man to Trabzonspor in 1998 was never likely to go down well with the Dutchman, who had been told by the club's hierarchy that Forest would be strengthening rather than weakening their squad that summer.
Van Hooijdonk responded by going on strike, although he did later express regret about his decision to do so.
5. Peace, no love
It wasn't the most thrilling of will-he-won't-he transfer sagas, but Saido Berahino's proposed move from West Brom to Tottenham had its fair share of twists and turns in 2015.
It's safe to say the striker wasn't best pleased when the transfer fell through on deadline day, with Baggies chairman Jeremy Peace the recipient of the youngster's ire on Twitter. His vow to never play for West Brom as long as Peace was chairman ultimately went unfulfilled, however.
A missed pen against Watford and 1 goal in 19 for Berahino. Jeremy Peace must be now wishing this was true!#WBAvWAT pic.twitter.com/pFEifdgrxy Bettingapps (@bettingappscom) April 16, 2016
6. Where can I park my car?
Another West Brom player who tried to force through a move away from the club on deadline day, Peter Odemwingie was ready to sign for QPR but prevented from doing so in 2013.
The Nigerian was so desperate to put pen to paper that he drove to QPR's training ground in order to complete the deal as soon as the formalities had been sorted out by the two clubs.
The fact that no agreement had been reached meant Odemwingie was unable to enter the west Londoners' complex, however, so the red-faced striker was forced to try and find a parking space while the transfer collapsed.
7. Andros Townsend: Not a good fit
Nobody wants to be an unused substitute in the Premier League, especially if you hold aspirations of playing for the England national team. Andros Townsend took out his frustrations in that regard on Tottenham fitness coach Nathan Gardiner during a post-match warm-down last year, with the winger reportedly lashing out after being urged to work harder.
The incident signalled the end of his Spurs career, with Newcastle stepping in to sign him in the January transfer window.
8. Di Canio proves he’s no pushover
Di Canio could have this list all to himself, but the most memorable of the Italian's many tantrums was his strop while playing for Sheffield Wednesday against Arsenal in 1998.
A clash with Martin Keown earned Di Canio a red card, but that wasn't the end of the trouble: the striker responded by shoving referee Paul Alcock, earning himself an 11-match ban in the process.
Alcock goes down easily
9. Definitely a cross
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of football's most frequent tantrum-throwers, but he was probably justified in going off on one on this occasion.
After giving Gerard Pique twisted blood down the left in a 2010 international friendly between Spain and Portugal, Ronaldo beautifully scooped the ball over the head of Iker Casillas and, seemingly, into the back of the net.
The 9 best disallowed goals ever: Henry's audacity, Balotelli's bicyle and Lampard vs Germany
Before it crossed the line, though, Nani applied a needless touch with his head, thus prompting the linesman to raise his flag for offside. Ronaldo, it's safe to say, wasn't overly happy with his team-mate.
10. You can’t substitute Mido
During a semi-final clash with Senegal at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, Mido was mysteriously taken off by Egypt coach Hassa Shehata despite being his country's star player.
The Tottenham striker looked utterly shocked when he saw his number held up, but his manager was later proven correct: Egypt immediately scored to go 2-1 up and confirm Shehata's status as a tactical mastermind.
Mido shows his disdain
11. Hoff for an early shower, via huge embarrassment
Word of warning: if you’re going to throw a tantrum on a football pitch, make sure you do it properly.
Espen Hoff could have done with such advice. When the IK Start man was sent off for a poor challenge in a Tippeligaen meeting with Sarpsborg in May 2015, he vented his frustration by kicking the inside of the tunnel; unfortunately for the midfielder, though, he was defeated by a slippery floor.
12. Waah-Waah Toure
Most strops occur in the heat of the moment on the field of play, so Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure deserves credit for finding a way to kick off when he wasn't even at work.
"What happened at his birthday meant the club don't care about him," an outraged Dimitri Seluk, Toure's agent, told the press after the midfielder was supposedly denied a cake to mark his 31st.
There was more to the story than initially met the eye, however, with City later releasing a video of club staff presenting Toure with a cake on a flight to Abu Dhabi. Seluk's explanation turned out to be half-baked.
13. Didier goes Drogballistic
You don't need to be a Chelsea fan to sympathise with Dider Drogba's pain after the Blues' controversial exit from the Champions League at the hands of Barcelona in 2009.
Referee Tom Henning Ovrebo turned down multiple appeals for a penalty from the hosts at Stamford Bridge, with Andres Iniesta's late strike sending Barca through at Chelsea's expense.
It was all too much to bear for Drogba, who angrily approached the official after the final whistle while wearing a pair of flip-flops - he was substituted before the end of the game - and then telling TV cameras the entire episode was a "disgrace".
Drogba eventually recovered from the setback, scoring the decisive spot-kick to win Chelsea their first-ever European Cup in a shoot-out with Bayern Munich three years later.
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featureTue, 08 Nov 2016 10:11:28 +0000Greg Lea648311 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comRenard, Morocco prepared for AFCON testHerve Renard is ready for a challenge when Morocco bid to advance from their group at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/renard-morocco-prepared-afcon-test
Morocco coach Herve Renard admitted to being drawn against teams he would have preferred to avoid in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations group stage.
The Frenchman's team will face his former side, defending champions Ivory Coast, DR Congo and Togo in Group C in Gabon next year.
Also awaiting Renard is Claude Le Roy, who is in charge of Togo.
"It’s a very tough group. If I had to choose teams to avoid before the draw, I would've chosen some of the teams in our group," he said.
"This is football and this is how the draw wants it to be. We will have to prepare ourselves very well.
"There will be an important emotional value but we will have to ignore all that because we will face Cote d'Ivoire which is very difficult especially when you have had the chance to know these players, and it is technically the same group. It will be tough but we have to be competitors.
"The match against Togo will be even harder on me during the 90 minutes but I will have to forget all what this man [Le Roy] has done for me and do everything to win over.
"He has given me so much in my life and not just in football, but how to evolve as a man. I think I will need a lot of time to speak just of the good things that Claude has brought to my life but that is not today's topic.
"Let's concentrate on the tough matches."
The tournament is scheduled to be held from January 14 to February 5 next year.
Group A: Gabon, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Guinea-Bissau
Group B: Algeria, Tunisia, Senegal, Zimbabwe
Group C: Ivory Coast, DR Congo, Morocco, Togo
Group D: Ghana, Mali, Egypt, Uganda
news_articleThu, 20 Oct 2016 01:32:15 +0000Anonymous640125 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comMakola gives South Africa friendly win over EgyptMpho Makola was on target as South Africa beat Egypt 1-0 in the 22nd annual Nelson Mandela Challenge match.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/makola-gives-south-africa-friendly-win-over-egypt
South Africa restored some pride following their dismal African Cup of Nations qualification campaign with a 1-0 friendly victory over Egypt in Soweto.
Ephraim Mashaba's men welcomed their opponents to Orlando Stadium for the 22nd annual Nelson Mandela Challenge match, which was settled after seven minutes by home favourite Mpho Makola.
The Orlando Pirates midfielder headed home from Mandla Masango's superb cross – one of the players to benefit from four changes made by Mashaba from the 1-1 draw against Mauritania.
Ahmed El-Shenawy saved on the angle as Makola sought to double his tally, while Egypt boss Hector Cuper saw Ibrahim Salah head wastefully wide before Mohamed Salah side-footed past the post.
The equaliser did not arrive for Egypt, who drew 1-1 with Guinea in their previous outing, but they have the consolation of being involved when the AFCON arrives in Gabon next year.
news_articleTue, 06 Sep 2016 19:27:57 +0000Anonymous623902 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comWorld Cup qualifying: Algeria, Cameroon and Nigeria drawn in same groupGroups have been drawn for the last round of African World Cup qualifying, with Algeria, Cameroon and Nigeria placed in the same section.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/world-cup-qualifying-algeria-cameroon-and-nigeria-drawn-same-group
Algeria, Cameroon and Nigeria have all been drawn in the same qualifying group for the 2018 World Cup.
With only the winners of each four-team group making it through to the tournament in Russia, Group B - which also includes Zambia - looks to be by far the most difficult section.
Nigeria, Algeria and Cameroon all qualified for the 2014 World Cup but at least two of them will miss out next time after the draw was made at CAF's headquarters in Cairo on Friday.
The 20 African nations were sorted into five groups for the final stage of qualifying and will play each side in their pool home-and-away over the course of the campaign.
Ghana made it to the last World Cup and they have been drawn in Group E with Egypt, Congo and Uganda.
The other team who qualified last time around were African Cup of Nations winners Ivory Coast, who were drawn with Gabon, Mali and Morocco in Group C.
South Africa and Senegal will go head-to-head in Group D, with Cape Verde and Burkina Faso also in that section, while Group A is made up of Tunisia, Libya, DR Congo and Guinea.
Prior to the draw, respects were paid to former Nigerian manager Stephen Keshi, who passed away earlier this month.
Under the leadership of Keshi, Nigeria were the only African side to make it through the group stage of the 2014 World Cup, losing 2-0 to France in the last 16.
news_articleFri, 24 Jun 2016 17:07:29 +0000Anonymous592865 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comAFCON Qualifying Review: Senegal, Egypt qualifySenegal and Egypt recorded crucial victories to qualify for next year's Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/afcon-qualifying-review-senegal-egypt-qualify
Senegal beat Burundi 2-0 to clinch top spot in Group K and seal their place at next year's Africa Cup of Nations.
Sadio Mane broke the deadlock in the 16th minute, with Mame Biram Diouf doubling the advantage shortly before the half-time whistle.
Elsewhere in the same group, Peter Shalulile scored the only goal of the game to help Namibia to a 1-0 home in over Niger.
Egypt joined Senegal in qualifying for the finals in Gabon following a 2-0 win over Tanzania in Group G.
Mohamed Salah opened the scoring in the dying stages of the first half, before adding a second on the hour mark to put the match to bed.
Mali beat South Sudan 3-0 to remain top in Group C with 13 points from five games, Abdoulay Diaby, Modibo Maiga and Moussa Doumbia finding the net.
Mozambique defeated Rwanda 3-2 to end their opponents' dreams of qualifying for next year's finals while Uganda went top of Group D following a 2-1 away win over Botswana.
Cape Verde beat Sao Tome and Principe 2-1 to remain second in Group F with nine points from five games, Ricardo Gomes and Nuno Rocha on target.
In Group M, South Africa recorded a comfortable 4-0 away win over Gambia.
Thamsanqa Gabuza scored twice in the opening 45 minutes after being set up by Keagan Dolly on both occasions, before Dolly himself added two more goals after the interval.
Guinea-Bissau moved one step closer to qualification by beating Zambia 3-2, and Sierra Leone kept their chances of making it to the finals alive by beating Sudan 1-0 in Group I.
news_articleSat, 04 Jun 2016 19:56:57 +0000Anonymous582774 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comNigeria fined over stadium over-crowdingCAF has fined the Nigeria Football Federation due to negligence on security and over-crowding during March's AFCON qualifier with Egypt.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/nigeria-fined-over-stadium-over-crowding
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has been fined $5,000 by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) due to over-crowding and a lack of security during its national team's Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Egypt in March.
The 1-1 draw took place at Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna – a 16,000-capacity venue, although multiple reports have suggested around 40,000 people were in the ground.
Pictures of fans climbing and perched upon broadcasting towers and watching the match from the roof of a stand prompted outcry and CAF elected to act.
The offences committed by the NFF, as listed by the CAF Disciplinary Board, were "spectators over packed in stadium" and "lack of security".
The NFF has also been warned that further sanctions will be applied if there is a repeat of such incidents.
Egypt won the subsequent return match 1-0 in Alexandria to all but end Nigeria's hopes of qualifying for AFCON 2017 in Gabon, although the Egyptian Football Federation has also been fined $5,000 for "excessive usage of lasers" during that match.
news_articleMon, 09 May 2016 15:41:16 +0000Anonymous570742 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comThese are the 8 fiercest rivalries in international football. Grrr...Nick Ames reveals the clashes around the globe that are guaranteed to produce a fiery spectacle...Nick Ameshttp://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/these-are-8-fiercest-rivalries-international-football-grrr
1. England vs Scotland
It may not quite hold the lustre of old but, but the history of this fixture more than makes up for that. These sides first met on November 30, 1872, drawing 0-0 in Glasgow; 111 clashes later the ‘Auld Enemy’ were still going strong in the same city, in front of rather more than the 4,000 fans who had witnessed proceedings almost a century-and-a-half before.
Famous encounters have included Scotland’s 3-2 win at Wembley in 1967, making them the self-appointed ‘unofficial world champions’, and their 2-1 victory a decade later, upon which visiting supporters pulled down the goalposts.
England have held the more recent bragging rights in a match that was played annually until the mid-1980s, winning 2-0 at Euro 96 and prevailing in a Euro 2000 play-off. They have 47 wins to Scotland’s 41 and at the current glacial rate of progress – the two have only met twice this century – it will take some time for that margin to be turned around.
2. Brazil vs Argentina
They do not get any bigger than this. These powerhouses have met over 100 times and the only shame is that there has – somehow – yet to be a World Cup final between the pair. But they meet regularly enough on other stages and the temperature is rarely far below boiling.
When they played in the second round of Italia 90, in a match eventually won by a Claudio Caniggia goal, it was alleged that the Brazil left-back Branco had drunk from a water bottle infused with a tranquiliser.
“I’m not saying it didn’t happen,” said Argentina’s coach that day, Carlos Bilardo, several years later. It did little to clear up the fallout from a game that had become known as the ‘Holy Water’ match.
Diego Maradona was in action that day, just as he had been in Spain 1982 when he was sent off for an outrageous studs-up foul on Joao Batista (below, 40 seconds in) during a stormy Group C fixture.
Football has broken out in these games too, and there are often plenty of goals – Argentina won a friendly (if there can be such a thing) 4-3 in 2012, and thrashed their neighbours 6-1 back in 1940. It is Brazil, though, who have the upper hand, winning 43 games to Argentina’s 38.
3. Serbia vs Albania
This fixture had never been played prior to October 14, 2014 – but what followed ushered it into the pantheon of incendiary clashes immediately. Serbia’s claim over Kosovo, most of whose population is ethnically Albanian, is a longstanding cause of antipathy between the two and the potential for flashpoints had been high.
But nobody could have predicted that Ismail Morina, an Albanian based in Italy, would succeed in piloting a remote controlled drone into Belgrade’s Partizan Stadium while hiding in a nearby churchyard – and that it would be trailing a flag depicting Kosovo as part of a ‘Greater Albania’.
All hell broke loose as violence erupted on the pitch and in the stands; when the dust settled, Albania were awarded a 3-0 win that contributed to their qualification for Euro 2016.
Fears of reprisals at the rematch in Elbasan, a year later, were unfounded thanks to a tight security operation. Serbia won that game 2-0, but it is difficult to see these two being paired again.
RECOMMENDEDFan bans, media meddling and a bloody fight for freedom: Serbia vs Albania is more than a game
4. Japan vs South Korea
Regional tussles do not get much more politically loaded than this. Japan exerted colonial rule over Korea between 1910 and 1935, at which point North and South Korea were born.
There has been a sharp edge to their meetings on the football pitch since, particularly Japan’s 86 games against the South. Such was the degree of tension in 1954 that the Japanese were not allowed to enter South Korea for a World Cup qualifying play-off between the two, meaning that both legs were contested in Tokyo. The Koreans still won overwhelmingly.
Even more famous is the ‘Miracle of Doha’ (or ‘Agony of Doha’, if you are Japanese), when a late Iraq goal against Japan meant they lost out to South Korea in the race for a spot at USA 94.
NEXT PAGE: An actual 'Football War'...5. Egypt vs Algeria
“It was a battle, not a football match” said the Algeria forward Ayman Younes after his side had lost a tempestuous winner-takes-all Italia 90 qualifier to their bitter rivals in Cairo. That tends to be the case when these two African powerhouses, separated geographically by Libya, lock horns and Exhibit B – in fact, Exhibits B, C and D – materialised in 2009.
They were drawn together in another set of World Cup qualifiers, Algeria winning the first encounter 3-1 before, on another intensely charged night in the Egyptian capital, Egypt won 2-0 to set up a play-off between the two for a place at South Africa 2010.
The Algerians had been shaken badly by the stoning their team bus took upon arrival in Egypt, injuring three players and an official; there was no such misbehaviour when they met again in Omdurman, Sudan, and Algeria exacted revenge by winning an impossibly tense game by a single goal.
6. Germany vs Netherlands
The enduring image of this tete-a-tete is, of course, Frank Rijkaard’s spit into the curly locks of Rudi Voller at Italia 90. That the two bizarrely appeared in a television commercial together several years later is evidence of a wider thawing in footballing relations, but this is still one of Europe’s most fiercely contested rivalries –even if 40 games since 1910 is not an especially high tally.
Much of the enmity in the second half of the 20th century stemmed from the Second World War, during which Germany occupied the Netherlands; there has been a common perception that feelings about the rivalry run higher on the Dutch side.
On the pitch, the wonderful Dutch side of 1974 – including the likes of Johan Cruyff, Johan Neeskens, Rob Rensenbrink and Ruud Krol – was outdone 2-1 in the World Cup final by a Gerd Muller-inspired Germany in the most famous meeting between the teams.
7. Honduras vs El Salvador
Such is the fame of these teams’ meeting in 1969, and the political situation which followed it, that it comes as a surprise to see that they have faced off an incredible 50 times since.
That match flung the two nations into the wonderfully named ‘Football War’ – a conflict that in reality had deeper causes after long-term tensions between the two but flared up after a three-game series for 1970 World Cup qualification.
A violence-plagued first two fixtures preceded a play-off, in Mexico City, in which El Salvador prevailed 3-2 after extra time. Enough to keep the winners happy? Not quite: El Salvador severed its diplomatic ties with Honduras the same day, and within two-and-a-half weeks it had invaded its Central American neighbour.
A ceasefire was announced on July 20 after six days of war that cost more than 1,000 lives and displaced many more. Whatever the extent of football’s involvement, this was a tragedy that made sport pale into insignificance.
8. USA vs Mexico
This one never needs too much building up and has added edge nowadays with USA’s increased standing in the world game. Mexico have won 36 meetings to their rivals’ 21, although the scales have been more evenly balanced in recent years – after winning the teams’ first encounter at the 1934 World Cup, USA proceeded to lose 22 of the following 25 and didn't claim their second victory until 1979.
As recently at 1975, Mexico defeated them 8-0 in a friendly. Scandal has hit some subsequent meetings, with Landon Donovan vilified in the build-up to an Olympic qualifier in 2004 after being accused of urinating on the Mexican pitch during training.
Donovan became a classic arch-villain to fans of ‘El Tri’, but the lighter side to their antagonism was shown in 2010 when he appeared – wearing a sombrero, a poncho and a fake moustache – in a Mexican TV advert for a new lottery called GanaGol. It is fair to say that the reaction was mixed.
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featureThu, 28 Apr 2016 11:47:15 +0000Alasdair Mackenzie563345 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comAfrica Cup of Nations Qualifying Review: Egypt almost through as Nigeria crash outNigeria cannot qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon after defeat to Egypt, while Morocco became the first team to book their spot.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/africa-cup-nations-qualifying-review-egypt-almost-through-nigeria-crash-out
Seven-time Africa Cup of Nations champions Egypt virtually confirmed their place in the 2017 finals with a 1-0 home win against Nigeria, who now cannot qualify.
Their defeat, sealed by Ramadan Sobhy's goal, means Nigeria are out after the withdrawal of Chad had a major impact on Group G.
As long as Egypt do not lose 3-0 to Tanzania, the Pharaohs will be at the finals in Gabon, for what would be their first appearance since winning the tournament for the third time in a row in 2010.
Youssef El-Arabi scored both goals as Morocco confirmed their spot at the finals, becoming the first team to qualify, with a 2-0 home victory against 10-man Cape Verde.
Morocco had been banned from the tournament after they did not host the event in 2015, but won the appeal against their punishment in April.
South Africa are on the brink of elimination after a 0-0 draw with Cameroon left them in third in Group M, with just three points from four matches. Mauritania's trip to Gambia also finished goalless, with Cameroon still a point above Mauritania in top spot.
Algeria must wait to qualify after Faouzi Ghoulam's late penalty earned them a 3-3 draw with Ethiopia, opposition they had beaten 7-1 just on Friday in Group J.
Also in Group J, Tumelo Khutlang's decisive goal gave Lesotho their first points of the qualifying round with a 2-1 victory against Seychelles.
Liberia took a step towards qualifying with a crushing 5-0 defeat of Djibouti, a second-half hat-trick by William Jebor ensuring his side remain in control of Group A having taken nine points from four matches.
Group A's other nations, Tunisia and Togo, played out a 0-0 draw that leaves both teams tied on seven points, with Crystal Palace striker Emmanuel Adebayor unable to make a scoring return on his international comeback.
Rwanda boosted their chances of qualifying for only the second time with a 5-0 thrashing of Mauritius in Group H, while Democratic Republic of Congo took control at the top of Group B with a 2-0 win in Angola.
Reigning champions Ivory Coast lead the tight three-team Group I from Sudan after the teams played out a 1-1 draw.
Senegal's 2-1 win in Niger maintained their unbroken run of victories in Group K, while Burundi beat Namibia 3-1 away to keep their own qualification chances alive.
Burkina Faso and Uganda are tied on seven points at the top of Group D after a 0-0 draw in which Charles Kabore was sent off, while Guinea drew level with Swaziland in second place in Group L with a 2-1 away win over Malawi.
In Group B, Democratic Republic of Congo went top of the section with a 2-0 win in Angola.
news_articleTue, 29 Mar 2016 21:41:23 +0000Anonymous552113 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comEgypt 1 Nigeria 0: Defeat ends Super Eagles' AFCON hopesNigeria will be absent for the second straight Africa Cup of Nations as a 1-0 loss in Egypt ended their qualification chances.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/egypt-1-nigeria-0-defeat-ends-super-eagles-afcon-hopes
Ramadan Sobhy's second-half strike all but secured Egypt's place at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations as a 1-0 win ended Nigeria's hopes of reaching Gabon.
Chad's withdrawal from qualifying Group G, reportedly for financial reasons, meant all points against the nation were discarded and that no best runners-up spot would be available, leaving Nigeria with a must-not-lose situation in Alexandria.
But Egypt, whose own preparations were hindered by an election-rigging scandal engulfing the country's football association, were the far superior side and Ahmed Hegazy and Ramy Rabia missed great first-half chances.
Hector Cuper's men were not to be denied, though, and Sobhy's soft effort had enough to beat Nigeria goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi to earn the three points.
Nigeria can now no longer overtake Egypt as they are five points adrift with just one match to play, while Egypt are also six points clear of Tanzania - who have two games left - with a far superior goal difference.
Egypt started the brighter and Hegazy should have done better when he headed Mohamed Salah's free-kick wide when unmarked in the box.
Odion Ighalo was wayward with a half-volley in the penalty area in Nigeria's best chance of the half, but Egypt continued to press and captain Abdallah Said dragged an effort wide of the right-hand post.
Akpeyi was then on hand to make a smart stop from Ibrahim Salah's edge-of-the-area shot, before tipping Rabia's flicked header over the crossbar.
Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny struck over the bar for Egypt shortly after the restart, while the lively Victor Moses was denied by Hegazy's timely block at the other end.
The hosts' pressure finally told in the 66th minute, though. Salah's corner was not dealt with and Sobhy's tame shot squirmed through several Nigeria defenders and under a despairing Akpeyi, who could have done better.
Nigeria piled on the pressure in the closing stages and Moses saw a 20-yard left-foot effort rebound cruelly off the right post but, despite their best efforts, Egypt held on for the win.
news_articleTue, 29 Mar 2016 19:19:38 +0000Anonymous552009 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comEgypt v Nigeria: Super Eagles face must-not-lose qualifierEgypt can book their place in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, with Nigeria knowing defeat will bring an end to their hopes.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/egypt-v-nigeria-super-eagles-face-must-not-lose-qualifier
Chad's withdrawal from Africa Cup of Nations qualifying has left Nigeria facing a must-not-lose encounter at Egypt on Tuesday.
It was announced on Sunday that Chad had pulled out of qualifying with reports citing financial constraints as the reason for doing so.
Subsequently all points involving Chad have been discarded and Nigeria – without goalkeeper Carl Ikeme due to illness – are two points adrift of Egypt with two rounds of qualifying remaining.
Nigeria, who missed out on the 2015 AFCON, could have qualified as one of the best runners-up, but CAF confirmed that only the top team from Group G will qualify.
The match in Alexandria is the second between the teams in the space of five days, Mohamad Salah's late goal earning a 1-1 draw for Egypt in Kaduna on Friday.
And Nigeria captain John Obi Mikel issued a rallying cry ahead of a crucial game for the Super Eagles.
"It's a massive battle that we are going for and there should be no illusion about it," he told the Nigerian Football Federation's official website.
"We have to face reality and everyone has to give more than 100 per cent because we just have to qualify for the Cup of Nations.
"We have to go to Alexandria and fight with everything we have. There are still matches to play and we have confidence that we will earn the ticket."
Egypt's preparations for the encounter have been rocked by reports on Sunday that the nation's Football Association was dissolved by the Supreme Administrative Court amid accusations of rigged votes in its 2012 elections.
Head coach Hector Cuper must keep his side focused, though, as a win could ensure their place in Gabon.
The draw in the first encounter between the teams ended on a controversial note when full-time was blown despite Salah closing in on goal.
But the Roma winger admits he was relieved as he was unsure how a 40,000 strong crowd, packed into a 16,000 capacity at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, would have reacted.
"I breathed a sigh of relief after the ref blew the final whistle," Salah told Al-Ahram Daily. "I was afraid when I received the ball and was heading directly towards the goal to score what could have been the winner.
"Had I been able to score, I wouldn't have been able to tell what exactly the fans' response would be, that's why I thanked God right after the final whistle."
news_articleSun, 27 Mar 2016 18:30:21 +0000Anonymous551228 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comEgyptian FA president wants no distractions amid dissolution reportsReports suggest the Egyptian Football Association has been dissolved, but president Gamal Allam wants no distractions for the national team.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/egyptian-fa-president-wants-no-distractions-amid-dissolution-reports
Gamal Allam, president of the Egyptian Football Association (EFA), will not allow off-field problems to distract the team's preparations for Tuesday's Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Nigeria.
Reports emerged on Sunday that the Executive Board of the EFA was dissolved by the Supreme Administrative Court amid accusations of rigged votes in its 2012 elections.
The media reports suggest that the decision is final and cannot be appealed.
The news comes just two days before Egypt host Nigeria in an AFCON qualifier and Allam insists the focus is on the team.
"In this time we think only about the match against Nigeria and we do not want anything to distract the team," he told Egyptian TV.
Allam also explained that he would discuss the matter with the EFA in the coming days to discuss the verdict and a possible legal challenge.
Al Ahly also released a statement saying an emergency meeting will be held after the Supreme Administrative Court dissolved the club's board.
news_articleSun, 27 Mar 2016 17:33:53 +0000Anonymous551189 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comChad withdraw from AFCON qualifiersNigeria's Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign has been thrown into chaos by Chad's decision to pull out.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/chad-withdraw-afcon-qualifiers
Chad have withdrawn from qualifying for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, dealing a huge blow to Nigeria's chances of reaching the tournament.
Reports suggest financial constraints have prompted the decision, with Chad sitting bottom of Group G after three defeats from as many matches.
In accordance with qualifying rules, all points gained from matches involving Chad will now be discarded, leaving Nigeria two points adrift of leaders Egypt with only two matches - including a must-not-lose trip to Alexandria on Tuesday - to turn things around.
“If a team withdraws from the qualifying phase organised in groups, all its results shall be annulled (points, scored and conceded goals).”
— CAF (@CAF_Online) March 27, 2016
Nigeria, who failed to reach the 2015 tournament having lifted the trophy in 2013, had been in the running to qualify as one of two best runners-up, but CAF confirmed that only the top-placed team will now be eligible to qualify from Group G.
Tanzania currently sit a point behind Nigeria in third.
Chad have been fined $20,000 for pulling the plug on their campaign.
news_articleSun, 27 Mar 2016 16:05:07 +0000Anonymous551143 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comAfrica Cup of Nations Qualifying Review: Salah saves Egypt, Algeria hit sevenEgypt recovered to draw with Nigeria, while Algeria smashed seven goals past Ethiopia in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/africa-cup-nations-qualifying-review-salah-saves-egypt-algeria-hit-seven
Mohamed Salah snatched a last-gasp 1-1 draw for Egypt in Nigeria to preserve a two-point lead at the top of Group G on a busy Friday of Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches.
Nigeria were on top and took the lead through Oghenekaro Etebo just before the hour mark against Hector Cuper's side.
If not for an impressive performance in goal by Ahmed El-Shennawi and some wayward finishing from Odion Ighalo, Samson Siasia would have been celebrating a handsome to start his second stint as Super Eagles coach.
But Etebo went from hero to villain as he played Salah onside in stoppage time and the Roma winger did the rest to earn a valuable point.
Elsewhere, Algeria thrashed Ethiopia 7-1 in Group J. Valencia's Sofiane Feghouli and Sporting CP's Islam Slimani both netted doubles in a rampant win
A first-half goal from Gervinho proved decisive as Ivory Coast edged to a 1-0 home victory over Sudan in Group I, while Gabon, who will host the tournament, beat Sierra Leone 2-1 in the pool's other game.
Tunisia moved level on points with Togo in Group A after a Youssef Msakni goal gave them a 1-0 home win, while a late goal from Molla Wague ensured Mali beat Equatorial Guinea by the same margin in Group C.
Group L produced two draws, with Swaziland and Zimbabwe drawing 1-1 as the clash between Guinea and Malawi failed to produce a goal.
Cheikh Moulaye Ahmed scored twice, including a last-minute winner, to see Mauritania past Gambia in a 2-1 victory.
news_articleFri, 25 Mar 2016 23:37:20 +0000Anonymous550458 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comNigeria 1 Egypt 1: Salah snatches vital stoppage-time pointEgypt remain top of Group G in the AFCON qualifiers after Mohamed Salah's late goal cancelled out Oghenekaro Etebo's opener for Nigeria.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/nigeria-1-egypt-1-salah-snatches-vital-stoppage-time-point
Mohamed Salah snatched a last-gasp 1-1 draw for Egypt in Nigeria to preserve a two-point lead for Hector Cuper's side at the top of Group G in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying.
The hosts were good value for their 1-0 lead, with Oghenekaro Etebo on target in the 59th minute at a packed Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna.
If not for an impressive performance in goal by Ahmed El-Shennawi and some wayward finishing from Odion Ighalo, Samson Siasia would have been celebrating a handsome to start his second stint as Nigeria coach.
But Etebo went from hero to villain as he played Salah onside in stoppage time and the Roma winger made no mistake.
Siasia handed a maiden international start to Manchester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho and his attacking line-up began on the front foot.
But Egypt almost broke the deadlock in the 18th minute as Mohamed Salah and Abdallah El-Said combined for Koka to draw a superb save from Carl Ikeme.
El-Shennawi got down got down sharply at the other end to deny Moses Simon and kept out an Iheanacho drive as half-time approached before Watford striker Ighalo spurned a close-range opportunity.
Egypt's resistance was broken shortly before the hour when Iheanacho's snapshot struck the bar and fell for Etebo to smuggle home at the back post.
Nigeria pushed for a second and El-Shennawi made further excellent stops from Ighalo and substitute Victor Moses.
Moses rounded the keeper in the 84th minute, only for Rami Rabia to clear off the line and that intervention would prove crucial when Salah punished Siasia's men in stoppage time, maintaining Egypt's advantage ahead of Tuesday's return clash.
news_articleFri, 25 Mar 2016 18:32:14 +0000Anonymous550397 at http://www.fourfourtwo.com